Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 294/ספרי דברים רצ״ד
א(דברים כה יג) לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן, יָכוֹל לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה לִיטְרָא וַחֲצִי לִיטְרָא וּרְבִיעַ לִיטְרָא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה, גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהִיא מַכְחֶשֶׁת אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נוֹטֵל בַּגְּדוֹלָה וּמַחֲזִיר בַּקְּטַנָּה.
1Pisqa’ 2944891. “You shall not have in your pouch stone-weights,one heavy stone and one light stone (Dt. 25:13).Is it possible to say thathe should not keep togethera litra-weight,490 is equivalent to a pound.a half litra-weight and a quarter litra-weight?The Teaching states:“Heavy and light” (Dt. 25:13)—[but no more than two different weights].Moreover, a large [hollow stone-weight]casts suspicion on the small [dense stone-weight]—that he might purchase with the heavier weightor make change with the lighter weight.
ברַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים סֶלַע פָּחוּת מִשֶּׁקֶל וְלֹא דִּינָר פָּחוּת מִטַּרְפָּעִיקָא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ.
2R. Akiva says:How do I know thata sel`a should not weigh less than a sheqel,nor a dinar less than a quinarius?491 (so Jastrow). See M.Kel.12:7, T.BM.3:17 and T.BM. 5:10 for discussions of the exact amount of wear tolerable in commercial weights.The Teaching states:“You shall not have” (Dt. 25:13)—[two unequal weights].
גרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אִם קִיַּמְתָּ, הֲרֵי הוּא בְּלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ.
3R. Yose b. R. Judah says:even if you keep it[without using it as a weight],it stands under the rule ofyou shall not have.
ד(דברים כה יד) לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה, יָכוֹל לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה תַּרְקָב וַחֲצִי תַּרְקָב וּרְבִיעַ תַּרְקָב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה, גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהִיא מַכְחֶשֶׁת אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נוֹטֵל בַּגְּדוֹלָה וּמַחֲזִיר בַּקְּטַנָּה.
42. “You shall not have in your house, two measuring cups,one large and one small” (Dt. 25:14).Is it possible to say thathe should not keep togethera cup measuring a tarqav,492one at a tarqav and a half, and one at a tarqav and a quarter?The Teaching states:“One large and one small” (Dt. 25:14)—[more than two different measures is permissible].Moreover, the large [measure]casts suspicion upon the small [measure]—that he might purchase with the large measureand disburse with the lighter measure.
הרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם מִדָּה בַּת אַרְבַּעַת קַבִּים לִהְיוֹת מוֹדֵד בָּהּ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ.
53. R. Eliezer says:How do I know thatone doesn’t use a four qav-measure to measure in the home?The Teaching states:“You shall not have in your house” (Dt. 25:14)—[domestic measures should be by approximation].
ומִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין מְעַיְּנִים בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְרִיעִים וְאֵין מַכְרִיעִים בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמְּעַיְּנִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הֲרֵינִי מְעַיֵּן בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְרִיעִים לִפְחוֹת לוֹ מִן הַדָּמִים אוֹ לְהַכְרִיעַ בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמְּעַיְּנִים לְהוֹסִיף לוֹ עַל הַדָּמִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ.
6How do I know thatwhere people weigh out with precision,one may not weigh out by eye;nor may one weigh out with precisionwhere people weigh out by eye?The Teaching states:“An honest and fair stone-weight shall you have” (Dt. 25:15)—[all in accord with prevailing standards].Is it possible to say that:Even if one announced—in a market where precise measuring is the norm—Be aware that I measure by eyein order to offer reduced prices![this departure from prevailing standards is permissible];Or, where measuring by eye is the norm,[the merchant announced]:I measure precisely,in order to give the customer more for his money![this is permitted, for the departure from standards benefits the customer]?The Teaching states:“An honest and fair measure shall you use” (Dt. 25:15)—[in the market, prevailing standards must apply].
זמִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יִגְדּוֹשׁ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמּוֹחֲקִים וְלֹא יִמְחוֹק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁגּוֹדְשִׁים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה. יָכוֹל אִם אָמַר הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁגּוֹדְשִׁים עַל מְנָת לִפְחוֹת לוֹ מִן הַדָּמִים, אוֹ הֲרֵינִי גּוֹדֵשׁ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמּוֹחֲקִים עַל מְנָת לְהוֹסִיף לוֹ עַל הַדָּמִים, שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹמְעִים לוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ.
7How do I know thatone doesn’t heap up the measure where people level it off,nor may one level it off where people heap it up?The Teaching states:“An honest . . . stone-weight” (Dt. 25:15)—[according to prevailing market standards].Is it possible to say thatif one announced—in a market where people heap the measure—Be aware that I level the measure,in order to offer reduced prices!Or, where leveling-off is the norm,[he announced]:I heap it up, in order to give the customer more for his money—we pay no attention to him?The Teaching states:“Honest and fair” (Dt. 25:15)—[in accord with prevailing standards].
חיִהְיֶה לָּךְ, מַנֵּה אַגְרוֹנוֹמוֹס עַל כָּךְ, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: הַסִּיטוֹן מְקַנֵּחַ מִדּוֹתָיו אַחַת לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת אַחַת לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ וְכוּ׳ מַתְנִי׳
84. “Measures shall you have” (Dt. 25:15)—appoint a market administrator for this purpose.493 per. 8:8.On this basis they taught:A wholesaler must wipe off hismeasures once every thirty days,and a householder once every twelve months.{Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel says:matters are just the opposite!The storekeeper must wipe off hismeasures twice a week,and clean his weights once a week.And he must wipe off his scale pansafter each and every use.}494
טאֶלְעָזָר בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן חִזְקִיָּה בֶּן גָּרוֹן אוֹמֵר: הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל מו יא): ״אֵיפָה לַפָּר וְאֵיפָה לָאַיִל וְאֵיפָה לַכֶּבֶשׂ״, וְכִי מִדַּת פָּרִים וְאֵילִים וּכְבָשִׂים אַחַת הִיא? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (במדבר כט ג): ״שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר וּשְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ״! אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וְאֵיפָה קְטַנָּה קְרוּיָה אֵיפָה.
9Elazar b. Hanania b. Hezekiah b. Garon says:“A measure495; a dry measure approximating a bushel. for a bull, and a measure for the ram, and a measure for the lamb” (Ezek. 46:11)—now, are the measures of flourfor bulls, rams, and lambsindeed the same for each animal?Hasn’t it already been stated:“Three tenth measures for the bull, and two tenth-measures for the ram,and one tenth-measure496 A dry measure of one-tenth of an ‘eifah. Pl: ‘esronim. for the lamb” (Nu. 29:3)?Actually, this teaches thatthe large measure and the small measureare both called “measure.”